M'dziko lathu muli malo ang'onoang'ono, omwe zomera ndi zinyama zawo ndizolemera kuposa zomwe zimawonedwa m'malo akulu anyanja zina.
Titha kunena kuti pali nyengo yaying'ono yopititsa patsogolo zamoyo zina, zomwe mwina zasowa m'malo ena a Mexico.
Tawuni yomwe imapatsa chigwa dzina lake ili pakatikati pake pali malo opangira shuga komanso malo amafuta. Kuchokera kwa iwo-osati kutchalitchi, monga m'matawuni ena- nyumbazi zimagawidwa pakati paminda yodzala khofi, nthochi, nzimbe ndi chayote. Umenewu udali, mpaka pano, tawuni yotukuka pomwe chilichonse chimawoneka ngati chofikirika: mitsempha yamadzi oyera, mitengo yazipatso ndi mthunzi wa migwalangwa ya Coyolera.
Mitundu yambiri ya asaurian yakula m'chigwachi. Mmodzi wa iwo wakhala akuchita chidwi kwambiri: Xenosaurius Grandis. Kupeza sikovuta, bola ngati tili ndi chithandizo komanso kukoma mtima kwa anthu ngati Don Rafael Julián Cerón, omwe tidayenda nawo m'mawa uja kulowera kumtunda kwa phiri lokongola lomwe limalamulira chigwa, ngati kuti anali woyang'anira. Tidafika paphiri pomwe miyala ikuluikulu idatuluka pansi: tidali m'maiko a xenosaurus. Mapiriwa ali ndi malo okwera a Chicahuaxtla, dzina lomwe limaperekedwa ku phiri lomwe nsonga yake ili pamtunda wa mamita 1,400 pamwamba pamadzi, madzi ake omwe amatha kuwoneka, masiku omveka, kuchokera pamwambowu. Dzinalo limatanthauza "kugwedeza", mwina kukumbukira chicauaztli, ndodo yomwe amagwiritsidwa ntchito ndi ansembe am'mbuyomu ku Spain.
Pamodzi ndi a saurian, pali mitundu ina yopezeka m'nyanjayi yomwe yakopa akatswiri azanyama ochokera kumadera osiyanasiyana padziko lapansi kuyambira koyambirira kwa zaka zana lino. Izi ndi zitsanzo zapadera, monga salamander wotchedwa linea (Lineatriton Lineola) ndi mitundu yaying'ono kwambiri ya achule, yomwe anthu am'deralo amawona kuti ndi yaying'ono kwambiri padziko lapansi. Kuphatikiza pa xenosaur, tidzatchulanso anthu ena a m'chigwachi, monga bronia (Bronia Taeniata) ndi teterete yodziwika bwino kwambiri kapena querreque (Basiliscus Vittatus). Yoyamba mwa iyo ndi gawo la mtundu wa Gerhonotus ndipo imatha mpaka masentimita 35. Amakhala m'mitengo ndi m'tchire, momwe mumadya tizilombo ndi tizilombo tina tating'onoting'ono. Yamphongoyo ili ndi khola pakati pakhosi, mtundu womwe umasintha msanga molingana ndi momwe nyama ilili. M'nyengo yokwatirana, amakonda kutukula mitu yawo ndikuwonetsa matani mokopa pakhungu ili, lomwe limakopa akazi. Amakhala achiwawa ngati asokonezedwa, koma ngakhale ali abale apamtima a Heloderma (Gila monster), alibe poizoni ndipo kuluma kwawo kulibe zotsatira zina kupatula kupweteka kwambiri, pokhapokha atanyalanyazidwa komanso kutenga kachilomboka. Bronia imapereka kutsanzira kwina; kuti iziteteze imasintha mitundu malinga ndi chilengedwe. Ili ndi zizolowezi zosintha nthawi zonse ndipo imaikira mazira ake pansi, pomwe imaphimbidwa ndikusiyidwa. Kutulutsa kumabwera miyezi iwiri pambuyo pake.
Nkhani ya teterete ndiyosangalatsa, popeza saurian uyu, wochokera kubanja la Iguánidae komanso kuchokera ku mtundu wa Basiliscus (womwe pali mitundu yambiri ku Mexico) amayenda pamadzi. Mwina ndiye nyama yokhayo padziko lapansi yomwe ingachite izi, ndichifukwa chake chilankhulo cha Chingerezi chimadziwika kuti Jesus alligator. Imakwaniritsa kuyamikiraku, osati kumatenda omwe amalumikizana ndi zala zakumiyendo, koma chifukwa chothamanga kwambiri yomwe imayenda komanso kuthekera kosunthika, kudalira miyendo yake yakumbuyo. Izi zimalola kuti idutse pamadziwe, m'misewu komanso ngakhale mafunde, osalimba kwambiri, amitsinje. Kuwonera ndiwonetsero. Mitundu ina ndi yaying'ono, 10 cm kapena kuchepera, koma ina ndi yopitilira 60 cm. Mitundu yawo ya ocher, yakuda ndi yachikaso imawalola kuti azisakanikirana bwino ndi zomera m'mphepete mwa mitsinje ndi madambo, komwe amakhala. Amadya tizilombo. Wamphongo ali ndi chotupa pamutu, chomwe chimakhala chakuthwa kwambiri. Miyendo yake yakutsogolo ndi yayifupi kwambiri kuposa kumbuyo kwake. Amatha kuwoneka akukwera mumitengo ndipo, ngati kuli kofunikira, ndi osiyana kwambiri omwe amakhala pansi pamadzi kwa nthawi yayitali, mpaka adani awo atatha.
Rafael ndi anyamata ake amayang'ana m'ming'alu yamiyala, amadziwa kuti ndiwo omwe amakhala a xenosaur. Sizitenga nthawi kuti apeze yoyamba ya zokwawa izi. Ndi zizolowezi zakusintha, amasirira kwambiri gawo lawo, lomwe amalimbana pafupipafupi. Pokhapokha atakwatirana, simukuwona opitilira umodzi pachimake. Amakhala paokha ndipo amadya nkhono ndi tizilombo tina, ngakhale nthawi zina amatha kudya nyama zopanda mafupa. Kuwonekera kwawo kowopseza kwapangitsa kuti alimi awaphe. Komabe, Rafael Cerón akutiuza atagwira chimodzi mdzanja lake, kutali ndi poizoni, amachita zabwino zambiri, popeza amapha tizilombo tovulaza. Amangokhala aukali ngati atasokonezedwa ndipo ngakhale mano awo ndi ochepa, nsagwada zawo ndizolimba kwambiri ndipo zimatha kuvulaza kwambiri yomwe imafuna chisamaliro. Ndi oviparous, monga ambiri a saurians. Amatha kutalika mpaka 30 cm, ali ndi mutu wofanana ndi amondi ndipo maso, ofiira kwambiri, ndiye chinthu choyamba chomwe chimazindikira kupezeka kwawo tikayang'ana mumthunzi wa mphako.
Mkati mwa gulu la zokwawa, gawo lanyanja la saurian lili ndi nyama zomwe zidapulumuka ndikusintha pang'ono kuyambira nthawi zakale, zina kuyambira nthawi ya Cretaceous, zaka 135 miliyoni zapitazo. Chimodzi mwazinthu zazikuluzikulu ndikuti matupi awo amaphimbidwa m'miyeso, cholumikizira chowoneka bwino chomwe chitha kupangidwanso kangapo pachaka ndikuthira. Xenosaurus amawerengedwa kuti ndi buku lamoyo, laling'ono, la Eriops, omwe mabwinja awo akuwonetsa kuti idakhala zaka mamiliyoni zapitazo ndipo voliyumu yake yoposa mamitala awiri silingafanane ndi ya abale ake apano. Chodabwitsa, xenosaur sakhala m'zipululu zakumpoto kwa Mexico monga abale ake omwe amakhala ku Chihuahua ndi Sonora, komwe kuli Petrosaurus (rock saurian), yomwe imawoneka chimodzimodzi. M'malo mwake, malo ake amakhala achinyezi kwambiri.
Adani okhawo a saurians a Cuauhtlapan Valley ndi mbalame zodya nyama, njoka ndipo, zowonadi, anthu. Sikuti timangopeza anthu omwe amawagwira ndikuwapha popanda chifukwa, koma kutukuka kwa madera oyandikana nawo a Ixtaczoquitlán ndi Orizaba kumabweretsa chiwopsezo chachikulu ku zinyama ndi zomera ku Cuauhtlapan.
Kampani yamapepala m'derali imaponyera matope ake oipitsidwawo panthaka yachonde yomwe kumakhala zamoyo zambirimbiri, motero kuwononga malo awo okhala. Kuphatikiza apo, amatulutsa madzi akuda m'mitsinje ndi mitsinje momwe zidole zimayang'anizana ndi imfa. Ndikuphatikizika kwa olamulira, moyo umatayika.
Mbalamezi zinali zikulengeza kale za usiku womwe tinachoka ku Cuauhtlapan Valley. Kuchokera pamawonekedwe omwe akuzungulira, ndizovuta kusamutsa malingaliro kupita nthawi zam'mbuyomu, tikayang'ana pansi m'malo okhala xenosaurs, bronias ndi zidole; ndiye titha kuganiza za malo a Cretaceous. Pachifukwa ichi tinayenera kuyang'ana malo amodzi omwe amapezeka kale momwe zingathere; tinayenera kuthawa chimney, miyala, malo otayira poizoni ndi ngalande. Tikukhulupirira m'tsogolomu malo awa adzawonjezeka ndipo tikukhulupirira kuti njira yakuthana nawo kwathunthu idzasinthidwa.
MUKAPITA KU VALLE DE CUAUHTLAPAN
Tengani khwalala ayi. 150 kulowera ku Veracruz ndipo mutadutsa Orizaba, pitilizani kudutsa ku Fortín de las Flores. Chigwa choyamba chomwe mukuwona ndi Cuauhtlapan Valley, chomwe chimayang'aniridwa ndi phiri la Chicahuaxtla. Muthanso kutenga njira yayikulu ayi. 150, kudutsa mzinda wa Puebla ndi mphambano yachiwiri kupita ku Orizaba, tulukani. Mseu uwu umakufikitsani molunjika ku Cuauhtlapan Valley, yomwe ili pafupifupi 10 km kuchokera kupatuka. Mkhalidwe wa mseu ndi wabwino kwambiri; komabe, m'chigwacho misewu yambiri ndimisewu yadothi.
Onse awiri a Córdoba, Fortín de las Flores ndi Orizaba ali ndi ntchito zonse.
Gwero: Unknown Mexico No. 260 / October 1998
